It was a busy week for our Family and Teen Team that ended up bigger than we planned. Even though this was a large team we couldn't have asked for better attitudes and team work! The family team, led by Stephanie DiMora spent the week teaching art to the kids at Casita Adonai. As the kids learned new forms of art, they heard words of truth spoken over them.
"God made you a masterpiece"
"Jesus adores you"
"He likes the way you look"
"He's proud of you!"
The week ended with an art expo where the parents were able to view the masterpieces. We are always looking for ways to build community and interact with these families and the art expo was a wonderful opportunity to do just that!
Our teen team ministered in the community through a basketball camp that was held at a local park. Kids and teens from the community came and not only learned basketball techniques but learned what Jesus says about faith, peace, and forgiveness. The Caroline's Promise team partnered with the youth and young adults from Iglesia Adonai who provided dramas each day and helped minister to the campers.
In their spare time this team continued painting projects in the new Building of Promise and even enjoyed a day off at the beach!
Here's a list of what this team learned while in Guatemala.
God taught me........
1.
That I will never fully get to a place of
completion but that I will be in a place where I am content growing, and if I
am content and willing, He will continue to place me where I need to be to
continue making progress towards completion.
2.
If you're doing what God wants you to do, He
will take care of everything no matter how big or small it is.
3.
God let me see Carlitos and God told me
that He keeps his promises.
4.
I must be obedient even when it’s uncomfortable or
unpopular. If I am obedient I will see the fruit of my labor.
5.
He gives us words to say when we need them and
when we seek Him.
6.
God can use pebbles and turn them into
mountains.
7.
That He has created me to obey and to experience
Him for His glory.
8.
That God’s
love can be shown through our actions, not just through our words.
9.
God still molds us as we grow with Him, and all
the things we do in His name.
10. Trust
not in the doing for Him, but in Him.
11. Jesus
wants me to love people for Him.
12. There
is nothing God doesn't see from the suffering or the struggling of a mother and
child in Guatemala to the silent pain in our hearts. He is big enough!
13. He
is an unpredictable God and loved on me and through me in ways I could
not have predicted or imagined.
14. God
knows what He is doing.
15. He
has proven his love over and over to me, but this week, specifically this
morning, He showed me a whole new aspect of His love for me and the rest of His
children.
16. That
His plans are greater than the plans I have made for myself.
17. It
is okay to step out of your comfort zone and obedience to God is key.
18. True
Godly love knows no economic, social, or language boundaries and sometimes the
servant gets more than they could ever give.
19. It’s not about how much
work you do in the community, it’s
about the relationships you form.
20. I
don’t know where
God wants me to do missions work, but I do know He wants me on the missions
field. This trip God showed me that it takes a lot of faith to do missions
work.
21. God
taught me to start living with abandon and to put every part of my life in His
hands and to stop living in fear, anxiety, and oppression.
22. That
my prayers can be answered and my fears can be calmed through God’s purposeful
blessings that remind me God has a reason and a perfect time for everything.
23. That
small things like a smile, wave, or hug can brighten a day, and if you can do
that act of kindness, then it could turn the darkest of situations into
something joyful.
24. When
I have worried or doubt I need to trust in the Lord and that there is a reason
He has placed me where I am and know that He is always there for me, even when
I have no one.
25. He
will be my comfort.
26. When
I listen to God and embrace the plans He has for me, I’ll find myself in the right places at
the right times, sometimes for personal growth and learning and sometimes to be
the one person that someone else needs.